I copy part of a letter from the Duke of Grafton, which I received by this post: — 'I have to thank you for the acquaintance of a real untaught genius, starting from our neighbourhood; which, together with the account you give of his moral character, makes me very desirous of being of service to him.

About once a year some pious public library banishes Huck Finn from its children's department, and on the same plea always — that Huck, the neglected and untaught son of a town drunkard, is given to lying, when in difficulty and hard pressed, and is therefore a bad example for young people, and a damager of their morals.

But in the army, where next week you may find yourself in a vicious firefight with a load of Taleban wackos bent on both martyrdom and the tender attentions of the usual 72 virgins (or is it 73 this week?), curtailing training by a week may mean that something which might save the life of a young Private soldier in the field goes untaught.